Sarah Swienckowski-Eckhart ’13 Writes About Green Issues in California

Sarah Swienckowski-Eckhart ’13 in California

For Sarah Swienckowski-Eckhart ’13 (Easton, Pa.), interning for The Pacific Coast Business Times in Santa Barbara, Calif., aligned perfectly with her interests.  With her self-created major cultures of global ecology, Swienckowski-Eckhart worked closely with a local group named the Green Coast Alliance while learning the ins and outs of the journalism world.

“Because I study the relationships between living things and the environment and take into consideration ways of communication and how to localize a sustainable solution to an area, working closely with this group allowed for me to see new ways of sustainable living,” she explains.  “I attended events that featured cutting-edge technology in building green homes and talked to leading people in the field about environmentally-friendly solutions I have never heard of before.”

Through this internship, Swienckowski-Eckhart worked with several departments of the newspaper, including circulation, marketing, legal issues, economics, and production. “The Business Times team integrated me into the office and allowed me to participate in all areas of the company, creating a dynamic and complete view of and interaction with the company,” she says.

Swienckowski-Eckhart covered and wrote articles on numerous local events for the paper, helped the journalists research for special issues, and helped plan the annual awards event for small businesses.

Another major benefit of the 10-week internship was working with the newspaper’s chairman and editor Henry Dubroff ’72.

“Henry taught me that if you have an idea or see a need, you should not hesitate to address it or follow through with the idea. Through working closely with him, I was able to see that it is not hard to reach out to others with an idea because they most likely are looking for a fresh outlook and will want to help carry out your ideas.”

For Dubroff, who is approaching his 40th college reunion, working with Swienckowski-Eckhart allowed him to reconnect with his own Lafayette experience.

“Working alongside Sarah gave me a great feel for the contemporary Lafayette student,” Dubroff explains.  “I believe the class of 2012 will be better informed, better engaged with global issues and better prepared to succeed in than we ever were, but, hey, the class of 1972 was pretty darn good.”

On campus Swienckowski-Eckhart participates in Best Buddies, LEAP, Student Government, Teens in the Community, and also serves as a resident adviser, lifeguard, and fitness assistant at Kirby Sports Center.